Edited by Leslie R. Martin, M. Robin DiMatteo, and Editor-in-chief:

Written for practitioners and students of medicine, health psychology, communication, public health, chiropractic, osteopathy, homeopathy, nursing, physician assistant programs, dentistry, clinical and health psychology, marriage and family counseling, social work, school psychology, and care administration

Edited by Leslie R. Martin, M. Robin DiMatteo, and Editor-in-chief:

Description

Better health all around--this is what clinicians and patients, alike, desire. But achieving and maintaining good health can be difficult task, as this requires the adoption of behaviors, habits, and lifestyles that are challenging for a variety of reasons. Perhaps the most vital tool in the delivery of healthcare, despite its low-tech nature, is communication--it plays an important role in informing, motivating, and ultimately achieving optimal health behaviors. This edited volume brings together top-notch scientists and practitioners to explain and illustrate the state-of-the-art in the interfaces of health communication, behavior change, and treatment adherence.

The Oxford Handbook of Health Communication, Behavior Change, and Treatment Adherence
presents a three-factor model that includes information, motivation, and strategy. If individuals are to engage in health-promoting behaviors they must be informed and know what they should do and how to do it. But information is not enough--individuals must want to carry out those behaviors, they must be motivated to do so. Finally, people must have the resources to do those things that they know are good and that they desire to do--barriers must be minimized or removed and effective strategies and support systems put into place. Although these three elements are broadly applicable, their details will necessarily vary; the second major section of the handbook therefore revisits health behavior change and treatment adherence from the perspective of different points in the lifespan and in
the context of comorbidities.

Readers will find in this handbook a synthesis of cutting-edge empirical research and demonstrably effective applications, solidly grounded in theory. Clearly written by some of the best scholars and professionals in the field, this volume is accessible, highly informative, and a must-have for understanding the ins-and-outs of health communication, behavior change, and treatment adherence.

Marianne Schmid MastInstitute of Work and Organizational PsychologyUniversity of NeuchatelNeuchâtel, Switzerland

Kirsten J. McCafferyCentre for Medical Psychology and Evidence-based Decision-making (CeMPED)Screening and Diagnostic Test Evaluation Program (STEP)Sydney School of Public HealthThe University of SydneyNew South Wales, Australia

Amy McQueenDivision of Health Behavior ResearchWashington University School of MedicineSaint Louis, MO

Urmimala SarkarDivision of General Internal MedicineDepartment of Medicine at San Francisco General HospitalCenter for Vulnerable PopulationsUniversity of California San FranciscoSan Francisco, CA

Dean SchillingerDivision of General Internal MedicineHealth Communications ProgramCenter for Vulnerable PopulationsDepartment of Medicine at San Francisco General HospitalUniversity of California San FranciscoSan Francisco, CA